Despite receiving only a muted response from the championship, McLaren CEO Zak Brown claims that Andretti's partnership with GM for its Formula 1 entrance application has made the team a "compelling prospect."
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Michael Andretti, the CEO of Andretti, has been open about his desire to enter his own team in Formula One. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of the FIA, has praised his application, but the other 10 teams in the championship have not been as warm. With Andretti’s partnership with GM’s Cadillac brand, certain teams’ positions, particularly Mercedes’, have shifted slightly. Meanwhile, Alpine is seen to be in favour due to an anticipated engine rebadging arrangement. In an interview with a limited group of journalists at the Mexico City E-Prix for Formula E, Brown stated that the success of the American team’s effort to enter Formula 1 was boosted by the fact that Andretti, with whom he has previously worked, was able to secure GM’s support.
The Andretti name has such a long history in several motorsports, according to Brown. “Walkinshaw and I are teammates in a Supercars team, and they have a long history in motorsport. “GM is also an OEM that we compete against in IndyCar [Chevrolet powers the Arrow McLaren squad], and I believe he has presented a very strong case. “I believe it demonstrates Formula 1’s expansion,” Since Haas, we haven’t had a new team in a very long time. Therefore, it’s wonderful to see Formula 1 luring new markets, teams, and sponsors.
Brown continued by saying that while he was aware that Andretti was collaborating closely with the FIA to make its F1 admission application a success, he anticipated that F1 will have a tender process with other teams who were known to be considering a future in the sport. According to Brown, it’s a “exciting” time to be a part of the tournament and the interest of possible new clubs is evidence of that.
“Since we’re in [F1], I’m not familiar with the larger process, but I know he’s closely collaborating with the FIA in Formula 1. Since there hasn’t been a tender process in a while, he is presenting his brand, his reputation, and his partners to make the strongest case possible. “And after that, Formula 1 and the FIA will follow the procedure. As [F1 CEO] Stefano [Domenicali] mentioned, I believe there are further organisations that are interested in joining. “I’m just happy that there is this enthusiasm about new teams wanting to enter Formula One; I think that speaks to the health of the sport.
